Jim Stepanek
Reviews By Author
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Skorpion GasserPublished:
The Studebaker is a wonderfully designed automobile that lends itself to streamlining for racing purposes. In this case, I built a race car for the gas coupe class with a blown Hemi. The kit also supplies a 421 ci Pontiac engine for use in a different drag racing class. Yellow ignition wires are included in the box. I’m guessing that this kit is very old. There was so much flash on all the parts that I could have probably melted all of it and made another kit. Just terrible. Kit instructions are somewhat difficult to follow due to lack of details. Decals flowed on very well. Kit is molded in red plastic so I used Duplicolor red oxide primer covered with House of Color Cinder Red followed by 2 coats of Nason 2K clear. The Studebaker body is beautiful and I’… more |
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VW Golf PolazeiPublished:
This is a review of the Iltaleri 3666 VW Golf Polizel model kit EngineVery basic engine. While engraved beautifully, this is very little additional details so the engine was put together and installed with no further detailing done. InteriorInterior is wonderfully engraved. I had some issue fitting the separate side panels onto the chassis. Decals in the kit supplied the dashboard decals. BodyBody was crisp and clean with no flash. I used Tru-Color metallic burgundy over black primer base and coated with 2 part urethane clear. Not being a fan of stock or box builds, I omitted the bumpers and rolled the front & rear pans and filled the stock taillight panels. Aftermarket taillights were installed. ChassisThe… more |
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Ford Escort Zakspeed Gr.2Published:
This is a review of the Ford Escort Zakspeed Gr.2. EngineThe little 4 cylinder engine is well engraved. I was a little disappointed that there was no distributor. InteriorInterior is wonderfully engraved and everything fits perfectly. There’s seat belt decals for the driver seat. The kit also had seat belt latches but they weren’t supposed to be used. BodyBody was crisp and clean with no flash. I used a wonderful Tru-Color Grabber Blue because the kit is a Ford. A 2-part urethane clear was used to finish the paint. ChassisThe suspension parts are separate from the chassis pan as is the exhaust system. There’s really not much detail to the chassis or suspension. InstructionsThe instructions… more |
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Mission Model PaintsPublished:
MMP-134 Surf Green, MMP-135 Coral, MMP-136 Aracdian Blue, MMP-137 Lilac, MMP-179 Crocus yellow Of the paints listed above, I used only the MMP-134 Surf Green on a 1966 Chevelle station wagon. Prior to painting the body was wet sanded with 2009 grit paper, washed and dried and then 2 coats of Duplicolor white primer were applied. After drying overnight, the primer was wet sanded with 2000 grit paper. After drying, a light coat of the white primer was applied. I let everything dry over night before sending the MMP-134 Surf Green paint through the airbrush. I immediately saw that I was going to have an issue with coverage. I allowed 30 minutes between coats and after 4 coats I decided to quit. The MMP was not coving the raised portions on the fenders, hood and roof. I didn… more |
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Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo ’82 Rally of 1000Published:
This is a review of the NuNU Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo ’82 Rally of 1000 Lakes race car by Platz Hobby. EngineDisappointed that there’s no engine. It is curbside kit. InteriorInterior is wonderfully engraved and fits extremely well. Very little, if any, flash needed to be cleaned up. Did not even have to paint some of the parts. BodyBody was crisp and clean with no flash. I used HOK snow white pearl on the body, applied decals, and then sprayed 1 coat of clear to protect the decals. While the instruction sheet for the decals was available, I found them to be lacking in sufficient detail to apply correctly, especially on the door posts. ChassisThe suspension parts are separate from the chassis pan as is the… more |
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Alpha Abrasives Plastic Sanding NeedlesPublished:
This is a review of the Alpha Abrasives plastic sanding needles I wasn’t able to find the assorted sanding needles on the Alpha Abrasives website. There were only individual packages of course, medium, and fine. The needles are evidently made in a two-part mold because there are two mold lines running down the shaft. Not very good if you want to sand a round hole. The mold lines would cause a nick in the hole. Another item is the point. When/if you break the point or round it off, how are you supposed to get the point back? While they may be useful for sanding contours, I can’t see them being used on round holes like a headlight or taillight. Thank you to IPMS for allowing me to review this product. |
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Buick Riviera 1963 to 1973Published:
This is a review of the Veloce Buick Riviera 1963 to 1973 I haven’t written a book review in over 50 years, so bear with me. The Veloce book is packed with information about the first three generations of the stylish, luxurious, and performance-oriented Buick Riviera. Tons of pictures accompany performance data, available option equipment for each year, changes and upgrades by year. I didn’t realize Buick started using the Riviera name in 1949 as a trim package and would later be changed/upgraded to compete with the Ford Thunderbird. Also included are pictures of Riviera’s that have been customized with paint, wheels/tires, and body modifications. The Veloce Buick Riviera is a fantastic addition to your hobby area reference materials. Thank you… more |
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Hyundai Santa FePublished:
This is a review of the 1/24th Academy Hyundai Santa Fe. EngineNo engine. It’s curbside kit and a 2018 model year. InteriorInterior is wonderfully engraved and everything fits perfectly. There were no painting instructions so interior was left black from the kit. BodyBody was crisp and clean with no flash. I used HOK white and coated with 2 part urethane clear. ChassisThe suspension parts are very few – about 5 parts total. The exhaust is molded in the chassis leaving only a chrome muffler and exhaust tip to attach.. All the parts fit with no issues. InstructionsThe instructions are several pages long and printed on glossy paper. DecalsDecals were crisp and I… more |
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Flex-I-File "Flex-Set" 550Published:
This is a review of the Flex-i-File Flex Set #550 Oh man. No engine, no interior, no wheels. And you wouldn’t expect those items in a sanding kit. I ran into the Flex-i-File family at the IPMS Nationals in Orlando a few years ago and was impressed with their products. So I bought a few items and have used them extensively over the years. I’ve included pics of the package and the package contents. Notice that the sanding sticks and sticks are color matched to a particular grit. Makes life easier. I’ve other sanding sticks that fall apart after being used wet. These sticks don’t separate and can also be easily trimmed to another shape if needed. Need to sand the inside portion of a grille opening? Just hook one side of the supplied frame to a sanding strip… more |
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Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO-MRPublished:
This is a review of the Hasegawa Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO-MR. EngineNo engine. It’s curbside kit. InteriorInterior is wonderfully engraved and the supplied upholstery decals fit well. Didn’t even have to paint some of the parts. BodyBody was crisp and clean with no flash. I had hoped to just polish the plastic but there were swirls in the roof so it had to be primed and painted. I used Tru-Color sun orange which is pretty darn close to factory color. ChassisThe suspension parts are separate from the chassis pan as is the exhaust system. Some of the parts are pretty small and care must be taken when working with them. InstructionsThe instructions are several pages long with suggested paint… more |